Analyst says police may fill civilian posts when needed
He says the system must rest on competence, agency requests and no forced assignments, with civilian accountability intact.
Political analyst Boni Hargens views the involvement of Polri personnel in civilian posts at government agencies as normal and lawful, as long as it is genuinely needed. In remarks in Jakarta on Saturday, Boni said the placement can be justified if police officers have technical expertise relevant to a specific civilian position. He also stressed the mechanism must be based on real needs and concrete requests from the relevant ministry or agency, not on forced assignments. He said three main conditions apply: technical competence, a non-coercive process and implementation within a civilian accountability framework. Boni referred to a statement by Polri Chief Gen. Pol Listyo Sigit Prabowo that Polri involvement in civil service positions is not mandatory, but follows the needs of the institution concerned.